


it's golden, like daylight

by excorde (constant)



Category: TREASURE (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Jaesahi are bffs!, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, Sort Of, asahi a bit tsundere, happy birthday yoon jaehyuk!, jaesahi with the left-handed/right-handed trope uwu, scenes switch from college to hs, spot the t-map references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:00:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25418839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/constant/pseuds/excorde
Summary: Jaehyuk learns the meaning behind Asahi’s name -Morning light.Two things had come out of it after having him learn this; first - he has associated the break of dawn with Asahi. On the rare moments when Jaehyuk rises early, the first rays of sunlight always remind him of his best friend. Second - he has started to notice that Asahi looks utterly pretty when exposed under different types of radiance, but even more so under the sunlight.Or: Both Jaehyuk and Asahi realize the same thing in the midst of a (potential) heartbreak.
Relationships: Hamada Asahi/Yoon Jaehyuk
Comments: 10
Kudos: 145





	it's golden, like daylight

**Author's Note:**

> -back again w another bare minimum jaesahi  
> -the contents of this piece arent festive(?) or including scenes wc celebrates mr. yoon's bday (or himself) but this was written with his special day in mind and yes im posting this two days earlier on purpose!!  
> \- title is from taylor swift's daylight ,, enjoy!

There is only so much in this world which challenges Jaehyuk's mind, brain, and head all at the same time. 

When his best friend, Asahi, comes to visit him at his apartment, all smiley and _weird_ , Jaehyuk has recoiled, head clearing off of other things except for the sight before him. 

He couldn't believe his eyes. It's not like Asahi _rarely_ smiles but for him to conjure one, you have to give him a reason to do it. So Asahi barging in his door with a smile on his face for no reason (or there _might_ be a reason, Jaehyuk just doesn't know it yet) isn't something you see every day. 

That being said, Jaehyuk is intrigued. A little creeped out too if he's to be honest. 

"What's up with you?" 

Asahi turns to him, blushes then looks away. He shakes his head, a little smile forming on his face. He tries to hide it by shoving popcorn into his mouth but he hasn't been more obvious. Even if he covers his mouth, Jaehyuk can still see it in his eyes. 

"Seriously. What's wrong with you?" 

Asahi turns to him once again, taking his time. He looks as if he’s trying to figure out if telling Jaehyuk about whatever it is that's going on with him is worth it. 

Why wouldn't it be worth it? They've been by each other's sides since freshman year of high school and no one can read through Asahi more than Jaehyuk can. If there's one person Asahi can trust with his problems and secrets, it's him.

"Nothing. It's nothing." Asahi hesitates. He blinks a few times, still holding Jaehyuk's gaze. Jaehyuk, on the other hand, feels incredibly tingly with this ‘staring game’ but that doesn’t mean he’s going to give in and let his friend take the victory. 

Asahi continues, "Remember that girl I told you about? The one whom I got paired up with in a project?" 

"Uh, I guess?" Jaehyuk's not sure where this is going. He barely paid attention when Asahi told him about this _girl_ , so he's careful not to say too much that might disappoint his friend. To tell the truth, Jaehyuk almost always tunes him out whenever Asahi starts talking about his crushes. It's fun to listen to the quiet Asahi being talkative on rare occasions, but this is the one topic which Jaehyuk couldn't stand for some reason. 

"We're meeting each other next week." Asahi's smile brightens. 

"For the project?" Jaehyuk clarifies. 

"For the project." Asahi confirms, still beaming. 

"And you're happy because… you like doing projects? Is that it?" 

Asahi nods, hesitating. "But also because…" 

His voice goes lower by the second, so Jaehyuk has to lean until their faces are close enough for Asahi's liking; he shoves Jaehyuk's face away, chuckling lightly. 

"Because what?" Jaehyuk presses on. 

Asahi stares right into his eyes, suddenly all serious. "She's really _really_ pretty." 

Jaehyuk double-takes. Did he hear that right? 

"Sorry?" 

Asahi runs a hand through his blond hair, a shy smile on his face. "I said," He continues with a louder voice, "She's pretty. And really smart too."

It takes a whole moment for Jaehyuk to process this. And when he does, he says, "And from the sounds of it- _way_ out of your league." 

Asahi glares at him. 

Jaehyuk gives him an apologetic smile, hands raised in surrender. "I'm kidding." 

Asahi rolls his eyes, which is so uncharacteristic of him, that Jaehyuk leaves to wonder if this man before him is really his best friend. 

"Man, you really have it bad, huh?" 

Asahi runs a hand through his hair then lets out a dreamy sigh. 

"This kind of thing just never happens to me."

Jaehyuk hums, thinking. "What do you mean?" 

"You know. A chance at-" The japanese man stops short, freezing mid-sentence. After a second, he turns his head to look at Jaehyuk, then continues, "-love." 

"Love." Jaehyuk repeats as if it's a foreign word he has heard before and is trying to remember the meaning behind it. "You're in _love_?" He asks incredulously and Asahi lets out a chuckle. 

" _No_ , silly. It's too early for that." 

"Yeah." Jaehyuk is quick to agree, though he doesn't know why. He ruffles Asahi's hair - for the lack of anything else to say (or do) - and to his surprise, the latter leans into his touch. 

They don't say anything more, and that's one of the many things Jaehyuk likes about Asahi. They can drop a conversation at any point without leaving it awkward or weird.

_Most of the time._

For this time, however, Jaehyuk can't brush off the tingles in his chest as Asahi leans his head against his shoulder. It’s not an unusual occurrence as the two pals tend to have their fair share of skinship, but something about the gesture sends Jaehyuk’s mind reeling. 

He tries to focus on the movie but his mind is filled with a thing or two about their recent conversation and Jaehyuk, for the life of him, can't figure out why it's bothering him so much. 

  
  
  


A chance at love. 

Junior year of high school, Jaehyuk had his first chance at love. His friends would probably laugh at him for calling the particular moment a ‘chance’ but it hurt him enough for him to think that he deserves to categorize it under the name of love. 

His promposal gets turned down. Jaehyuk has skipped a couple of his classes to pour all of his efforts to carry out his well-thought plan, only to be told that the partner he sought has already kept her word with someone else. It was too late into the game to ask someone else - almost everyone had their dates by then and this doesn’t help Jaehyuk feel better at all. 

He had been pretty out of it the entire week. His friends had to repeat their questions to him because he couldn’t register anything that has more than three words in it. 

Asahi’s question wasn’t an exception. Though Asahi's not the type to repeat anything he says, the question only travelled to Jaehyuk’s brain slowly. It took him about a few seconds to register what his friend had just said. 

“What color should I wear to prom?” Asahi dropped the question on their way home from school. He had his hands on his pockets, eyes fixed straight ahead. 

“Um, I don’t know.” Jaehyuk was still a bit bitter about the rejection and his friend’s sudden question only applies more pressure to the burned area. Not to mention, he had no idea that Asahi was ever going to the dance at all. 

Still in an impassive, almost bored tone, Asahi told him, “Well, we should match our outfits if we’re going together.” 

Jaehyuk stopped in his tracks, staring at Asahi’s retreating in surprise. It took a few seconds for Asahi to realize that his friend wasn’t beside him anymore. He paused, then turned towards him with a questioning frown. 

“Since when are we going to prom together?” Jaehyuk asked. 

Asahi startled at the question but was quick to compose his expression. “I assumed.” 

Silence flitted through the two-meter distance between them, then Asahi turned quickly around without warning, resuming his walk. 

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine too.” 

Jaehyuk immediately sprinted towards him. “No, no. I didn’t say that!” 

He threw his arms over Asahi’s shoulders, embracing him in a back hug. 

“I’m wearing a burgundy suit.”

Asahi wrinkled his nose. “Jesus, I forgot about your taste in clothes.” 

“ _Hey_!” 

  
  
  


Senior year of high school, Jaehyuk gets another chance at love and this time, it’s the real thing. 

Her name was Aera and he met her during a one-week trip to Iksan. Jaehyuk blames (thanks) his cousin, Jeongwoo, for setting them up. They clicked immediately. Jaehyuk was pleased to find out that they like the same type of music, have the same type of bucket hat, and even prefer the same brand of banana milk among the hundreds of others. 

It was _destiny_ , he believed. At the early stages of the relationship, Jaehyuk was genuinely happy that being physically away from her didn’t even affect him much. Text messages, calls, and the occasional visits were enough for him. 

When Aera visited Seoul, Jaehyuk introduced her to Asahi. 

He didn’t know what to expect. Asahi’s default expression is that of indifference and nonchalance, but despite this, Jaehyuk can manage to interpret his emotions through his eyes. His eyes _always_ give him away. At that moment, however, Jaehyuk couldn’t read him for his eyes remained as blank as his expression. 

Just when Jaehyuk started to worry about Asahi’s indecipherable reaction, Aera surprised him by greeting his friend in _Nihongo_ . Jaehyuk exclaimed proudly and embraced her as if he had little credit of her learning to say ‘ _Ohayo Gozaimasu_ ’ even when it’s clearly the afternoon. 

If Jaehyuk looked at his direction, he would have seen Asahi backing away from them, repulsed. 

If Jaehyuk paid him enough attention that day, he would have noticed that Asahi wasn’t pleased. Not even a little bit. 

  
  
  


Jaehyuk had no idea how the news had traveled to him, but within the week of his breakup with Aera, Asahi was at his door. (Did you know that long distance relationships have a 58% success rate? Unfortunately, Jaehyuk’s was within the 42.) 

The Japanese isn’t exactly an expert in cheering up (and he didn’t even try), but his presence alone was enough for Jaehyuk to feel a whole lot better. That, and the box of pizza he had brought along with him. 

Jaehyuk learned later that Asahi had a major exam coming up, making him feel guilty that the other is spending his time accompanying him rather than studying. 

“It’s just extra credit, Jaehyuk. Don’t worry about it.” 

“That’s exactly why I’m worried, Sahi. No one does extra credit for fun. Everyone runs towards it like a lifeline.” 

Asahi only shook his head at him, already burned out with the argument. Unlike him, Jaehyuk wasn’t done. He told him that he doesn’t need to worry about him, that the exam is more important than a silly heartbreak. 

“It’s not just a silly heartbreak.” Asahi said, eyes glued to the animation film playing on the tv. “It’s _your_ silly heartbreak.”

Jaehyuk grinned, heart fluttering at his friend’s words. He leaned his head against Asahi’s shoulder, and for once, he didn't brush him off. 

It’s this thing between them: when Asahi’s the one to initiate the contact, Jaehyuk makes no fuss about it. But when Jaehyuk first reaches out for his hand or leans his head against his shoulder, Asahi almost always shies away from him. Perhaps it’s the fact that Asahi being a skinship initiator happens only once in a blue moon, and when it does happen, Jaehyuk feels like he’s being rewarded with a limited edition prize that he ends up embracing his friend's touches whole-heartedly.

  
  


Asahi was a transfer student from Japan. His father is an employee of a Japanese-Korean company and was assigned to Seoul, thus the need for their whole family to move to the country. 

Jaehyuk first saw him seated at the back of their homeroom class, freshman year of high school. Asahi didn’t interact much with anyone and Jaehyuk thought at first that it’s merely caused by his unfamiliarity of the Korean language. 

After getting fed up of seeing the foreign kid who only either stared out the window during breaks or doodled on his notebooks, Jaehyuk took it upon himself to befriend him. 

It started with a wave from across the room. Jaehyuk thinks it was his first time to see Asahi steer away from a deadpan expression, his face showing mild surprise. He didn't strike Jaehyuk as someone to be easily flustered, but at that moment, it felt good to be the reason behind it (even though Jaehyuk was clearly at an advantage because he just waved at Asahi out of nowhere without warning).

"Good morning, Asahi." Jaehyuk told him with a smile. 

Asahi blinked his surprise away then said after a second, "G-good morning." 

Jaehyuk followed him with his eyes as he took his seat at the back. He didn't look up once. If he had, Jaehyuk would have continued the conversation, about what, he didn't know himself. He usually finds out as soon as the words are already out of his mouth.

The following days, Jaehyuk proceeded with his agenda. He only needed a little persistence and a translation app to succeed. This may seem like a piece of cake, but when it came to the actual process of _talking_ to Asahi, it wasn't easy. Jaehyuk came to realize that his unfamiliarity with the korean language isn't the sole reason for Asahi's quietness. He's just _quiet_ in nature. Introverted, even.

Maybe that is why - during his first days in their high school - nobody dared to bother him and Asahi didn't bother with anyone else either. It was like he was invisible. Except he _wasn't_ , because Jaehyuk saw him. Unlike the other kids who only looked past him with their eyes, Jaehyuk _saw_ Asahi. 

And yes, Jaehyuk has succeeded in making Asahi _belong_. He has started to speak more - interacting with almost everyone in and outside their class, even raising his hand to answer the teacher's question. And even though he has blended perfectly with the rest of his classmates, he still gravitated towards Jaehyuk as if he's the charger outlet whenever he ran out of his social batteries. 

Ever since, Jaehyuk has been the closest person to Asahi even if the latter wouldn’t admit it out loud. 

It took a while, but Asahi eventually came through. 

Junior year of high school, Jaehyuk started to hear from their other friends that Asahi has been calling him his ‘ _best friend_ ’. It’s not much, but hearing it from someone as impassive and as guarded as Asahi really means a lot. Hearing Asahi say that makes Jaehyuk feel akin to the triumphant feeling of his friend initiating skinship.

  
  
  


Jaehyuk learns the meaning behind Asahi’s name - _Morning light._

Two things had come out of it after having him learn this; first - he has associated the break of dawn with Asahi. On the rare moments when Jaehyuk rises early, the first rays of sunlight always remind him of his best friend. Second - Jaehyuk has started to be more perceptive when it came to Asahi being under any kind of light. He has started to notice that Asahi looks utterly pretty when exposed under different types of radiance, but even more so under the sunlight. 

The sunlight always hits him differently, the same way it hits Jaehyuk as a spectator and an admirer. 

“Hey.” 

As soon as Asahi meets his eyes in the midst of the crowd, his face breaks out in a grin. 

One thing Jaehyuk loves about their high school’s open field is that it faces the west, thus giving them a perfect view of the sunset during the late afternoons. This is not exactly the same type of situation, but the glow of the setting sun casts a blend of orange and yellow hues in the scene and Asahi’s here, right before him, right before the luminescence, and Jaehyuk takes a punch of nostalgia in his gut.

Asahi looks dazzling under the sunset and for a moment, the rest of the world fades out from the scene. 

Jaehyuk has always _verbally_ admired Asahi’s looks to the point where Asahi had told him to stop saying it to his face because it makes him uncomfortable. He wanted this day to be an exemption, but knowing Asahi, he wouldn’t even let their graduation day be an excuse for Jaehyuk to blatantly compliment him, especially not around all these people. 

But Asahi looked so good in his graduation robes that Jaehyuk is stuck between screaming into an abyss at how unfair life is and pulling his friend into a big hug. 

The idea of the latter option pulls at his heartstrings. He’s then reminded of the scenario they are in: it’s graduation day. They’re saying goodbye to routines, classes, places, and the people they met along the way. They’re saying goodbye to each other. 

“Tell the truth. You’re not moving back to Japan for college, are you?” 

Asahi laughs. “I already told you. I’m not moving back to Japan.” 

Jaehyuk is just making sure. 

“Okay.” He says, taking a step closer towards the other. Without asking if it’s okay, Jaehyuk pulls him in a hug. He feels Asahi stiffen a little, but relaxes eventually in his hold, and with this, so does Jaehyuk’s heart. 

He whispers, “I’m gonna miss you anyway.” 

  
  
  


Freshman year of college was the toughest. There was the excitement of being university students. The alienation of the new environment, new rules, new faces. The anxiety of dorming away from each other. Of not being able to see each other as much as before. Of barely _talking_. 

The first few weeks had been tough; it was probably the longest time Jaehyuk had gone without seeing Asahi. Whenever one was available, the other wasn't. When one asked to hang out, the other was too tired to do so. 

After the first couple of months and they had both adjusted to their respective schedules and environment, things had started to get a lot easier. Albeit, it wasn't the same as when they were in high school, but it's better than not seeing Asahi at all. 

Weekends, for Jaehyuk, mean that he gets to spend it holed up in either his or Asahi’s apartment, studying - if there’s some pending exam the following week - watching a movie - if there’s nothing else left to do - or playing a game - if it’s neither of the former options. _Going out_ is a rare occurrence for the both of them. Of course, if alone or with somebody else, Jaehyuk gets to go out more often, but years of being by Asahi’s side had gotten him used to the habit of staying in.

Weekends mean that they get to catch up with each other. It turns out that spending a week in college can accumulate a whole lot of things you can tell your best friend when the weekend arrives. It also means that they can unwind, that they can rant about all the things they couldn’t, and that even though ranting wouldn’t immediately provide a solution to their problem, it would still help them let go of the weight they’re carrying because they know that someone is listening. 

Then, what if it’s the other way around? 

What if the thing that had been bothering Jaehyuk had come up during the weekend? Had come up when Asahi was around? Had come up _because_ of Asahi himself? Is Jaehyuk still cut out to rant to his friend about it? 

  
  
  


As soon as Jaehyuk hears the front door click open without so much as a knock, a doorbell, or a warning, he already knows who's barging into his apartment. 

"Have you eaten?" Jaehyuk calls from the kitchen as he sets the last pile of dishes from the washer. 

There's no response.

"Sahi?" He tries again. 

He counts to ten in his head and when he still receives nothing but silence, Jaehyuk makes his way towards the living room.

It's been two weeks since that conversation about the ‘really _really_ pretty girl’. The two friends have seen each other a couple of times in between that moment and now, but neither of them had brought it up. Jaehyuk _wants_ to but he feels like he's not in the place to do so. If Asahi wants to talk about it, then he would. 

"Sahi." Jaehyuk exhales as soon as his friend comes into view. Asahi is seated on the couch and he looks up when Jaehyuk appears. He looks… normal. Calm. Blank. (As blank as he could get, at least.) 

"What's up?" Jaehyuk wants to add, 'Is everything okay?' but he doesn't want to sound too assuming. 

"Do you have anything to eat?" Asahi asks. 

"Huh?" The sudden question halts Jaehyuk's thought process. "Uh, I have leftover burgers. Is that okay?" 

Asahi grins. "I love burgers." 

"Leftover burgers." Jaehyuk points out. 

"Even better."

On the days in which Jaehyuk believes that he has him all figured out, Asahi would prove him all wrong on another day. How can you know someone for over five years and still hesitate on the present you'd get him because you're not sure if he prefers the black sling bag or the white tote? Or the cream bread or the chocolate-filled one? How can someone be close to you yet feel so far away at the same time?

These internal questions are a result of Asahi’s baffling reaction (or lack thereof) after having dropped the bomb on him. 

He said, "She has a boyfriend." And proceeded on his cheeseburger as if he just said the most casual thing in the world.

"What?" Was Jaehyuk’s initial reaction which could also mean: "Who?" 

But Asahi doesn't have to answer either for Jaehyuk to know what he means. And that’s exactly what he did - he didn’t, and Jaehyuk still understood him perfectly. 

And this is the part where Jaehyuk can’t figure him out. 

Asahi just basically had his first rejection. Why is there a ghost of a smile on his face? Why is there a spark in his eyes? Why is he stuffing his face with leftover burger as if it's the most delicious thing he has ever tasted? 

"Sahi…" Jaehyuk begins, his voice cautious. "Are you okay?" 

The response is prompt. "Yes." 

"How do you feel about the pretty girl having a boyfriend?" 

He shrugs, "Great. I'm glad for her." 

"Really." Jaehyuk says, skeptic. "Because the last time we talked about her, you seemed really excited to be paired up with her. ' _A chance at love',_ remember?" 

Asahi crinkles his nose as he cringes. "Please don't remind me." 

"No, really. Did the news not break your heart at all? Even just a little bit?" Funny how Jaehyuk's heart is the one to feel this tingly pain as he asks this. He brushes it off as nothing. 

Asahi hesitates for a second. "That's what I expected too, but-" 

He pauses. 

"But what?" 

"It made me realize something." 

"And I'm guessing you won't tell me what that is, right?" 

Asahi hums something and Jaehyuk assumes it's assent. He shakes his head before grabbing for the now empty plate, heading towards the sink. 

With his back turned, he hears Asahi speak. 

"I realized that I like you."

As he turns back to look at his friend, Asahi is shrugging, his gaze fixed on his greasy burger-stained fingers. 

“And I don’t mean the normal kind of ‘like’.” Asahi finally lifts his eyes and Jaehyuk feels a jolt of spark as soon as their gazes meet. In a gentler and much lower voice, Asahi continues, “I mean the special kind.” 

Jaehyuk, like a stupefied person who just received a sudden confession from his long-time best friend, remains rooted in his spot, the used plate still in his hands. 

He’s usually a smooth-talker but Jaehyuk finds himself tongue-tied at the moment. 

“Is this the part where I’m supposed to give you an answer?” 

To his immense relief, Asahi lets out a little smile, effectively lightening up the mood between them. 

“You don’t have to.” He shakes his head, then stands up from his seat. There’s the verge of finality in his movements and Jaehyuk feels the need to push him back down because there are some things that he wants to say to him as well. (Though, he still doesn't know what those are. Jaehyuk assumes he would find out as soon as the words leave his mouth.) 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” Asahi’s face suddenly turns all serious. “I don’t want to lose you as a friend, Jaehyuk.” 

Jaehyuk starts to shake his head. The shock of the events rendered his voice to ease off so when he speaks, it is almost in a whisper, “You won’t lose me.” 

“Let’s just pretend I never said that, okay?” 

Before Jaehyuk can respond, Asahi is already out the door. 

  
  
  


_Or you could give me a few days to think about it._

That’s what Jaehyuk should have said before Asahi walked out on him last week. 

He finds it impossible to pretend as though that conversation never happened because try as he might, his mind still replays the words over and over again. 

_‘I realized that I like you._ ’

How did Asahi exactly come to that conclusion?

No matter how much Jaehyuk wants to hear the answer to that question, he figures that he can put it off to another day. 

A more important question is this: 

“Are we really going to pretend that you never confessed to me?” 

Of all the time he can bring it up, Jaehyuk chooses to drop the question as they make their way through the street, on their way back to Asahi’s apartment from a quick trip at the convenience store. 

He thinks he hears Asahi gasp at the unanticipated inquiry but the buzz of the street and the passersby don’t allow him to be a hundred percent sure. 

"I told you, let's just forget about it." Asahi picks up his pace and Jaehyuk catches up quickly, falling into step with him again. The plastic bags they’re holding brush against each other as they walk side by side - Jaehyuk on his left and Asahi on his right. This reminds him of when they would sit beside each other in high school. Due to their opposing dominant hands, they would often bump into each other whenever they wrote something down. Asahi would elbow him if it bothered him too much and Jaehyuk, before adjusting a little away, would elbow him back. 

"No, Asahi.” He starts. Asahi seems determined not to look at him, and Jaehyuk has to admit that it hurts him a little bit. He goes on, “Even if I want to, I can't. And even if I want to, I don't want to." 

Asahi still fixes his gaze at anything but Jaehyuk, but his lips turn up in a shy little smile. Jaehyuk's heart warms at the sight.

He grabs Asahi’s hand, halting him in the middle of the sidewalk. To keep him from moving away, Jaehyuk holds his grip on him firmly. They stop just before a neon store sign, the light reflecting pale blue hues around Asahi’s figure. 

“I realized something too.” 

Jaehyuk learns the meaning behind Asahi’s name - _Morning light._

This represents the start of a new day. 

A new beginning. A fresh set of opportunities.

As Jaehyuk stares at him - Asahi blinking anticipatedly back at him - he realizes that this is his chance at love. 

Asahi _is_ his chance. 

"I like y-" 

Jaehyuk's cut off when Asahi clasps a hand over his mouth. He has a frantic, almost embarrassed look on his face and Jaehyuk can only look back at him in confusion.

A passerby whizzes past them, nudging Asahi slightly and making him stumble a little on his feet. Jaehyuk catches him by the arms, holding him up easily as if he’s as light as a feather. 

When Asahi regains his footing, he looks at Jaehyuk with a flushed expression. "Jaehyuk, can this wait till we arrive at the apartment?" 

Jaehyuk chuckles. 

Ah, yes. He should have realized that 'Asahi' and 'confessions in a public place' don't go well together.

Jaehyuk slides his hand from Asahi’s elbow down to his hand. He gives it a squeeze and nods towards his friend.

"Okay. Let's go." He says. 

As they pick up on their stroll, Jaehyuk purposefully loosens his grip from Asahi's hand (more for the concern of his comfort than anything else) but Asahi doesn't let him go. 

When Jaehyuk squeezes his hand again, Asahi squeezes back. 

There are so many things Jaehyuk wants to say to him and so many questions he wants to ask. But also, Jaehyuk finds no hurry in that at all as they both take their time heading back to the apartment. (They even stop to pet a mini pinscher on the way and pause at a food kiosk to take-out _bungeo ppang_.) 

Perhaps the chance had come to him as early as that morning when the teacher had announced a transfer student from Japan, freshman year of high school. Or that time when he finally managed to crack a smile out of Asahi or the first time Asahi had not brushed him off when Jaehyuk leaned his head on his shoulder. 

Whatever the case, it's a chance that has waited and it's a chance that can wait. 

**Author's Note:**

> happy bday yoon jaehyuk!! let's all show our love and support for treasure in their upcoming debut <3


End file.
